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HB660 • 2026

RELATING TO LAND COURT.

RELATING TO LAND COURT.

Budget Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
HASHEM
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does include provisions for transferring duties and employees, but this detail was omitted from the official summary.

Repealing Land Court

This bill removes the Land Court from Hawaii's legal system, requires property owners to deregister their properties by a certain date, and provides funding for informing these property owners.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the Land Court from Hawaii's legal system.
  • Requires registered owners of an interest in property registered in the Land Court to deregister their interest by December 31, [year not specified].
  • Gives the Land Court money to inform registered owners about the requirement to deregister their properties.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who own land registered in the Land Court
  • The employees and staff working at the Land Court

Terms To Know

Land Court
A special court that handles property registration and disputes.
Deregister
To remove a property from being registered in the Land Court.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money will be given to the Land Court for deregistration.
  • It is unclear what happens if property owners do not deregister their properties by the deadline.
  • The exact date when sections of this law take effect has not been set.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-30 H

    The committee(s) on WAL recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.

  3. 2025-01-27 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 01-30-25 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  4. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to WAL, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 2

  5. 2025-01-21 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  6. 2025-01-17 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO LAND COURT.
Land Court; Bureau of Conveyances; Repeal; Real Property; Appropriation ($)
Repeals the Land Court. Requires registered owners of an interest in property registered in land court to deregister their interest. Requires the land court to inform registered owners of the requirement to deregister. Appropriates moneys.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB660

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

660

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Land Court
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
Beginning January 1,
����
, no new applications for registration of
title shall be made or accepted in the land court, pursuant to part I of chapter
501, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

����
SECTION
2.
�
No later than December 31,
����
, all registered owners of an interest in
property registered in the land court shall initiate deregistration of the
property pursuant to part II of chapter 501, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

����
SECTION 3.
�
The land court shall inform all registered
owners of any interest in property registered in land court of the requirement
under section 2 of this Act.

����
SECTION
4.
�
The subpart entitled "Land
Court; Personnel", of part I of chapter 501, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
consisting of sections 501-1 to 501-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

����
SECTION
5.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $
����������
or so much thereof as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may
be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the land court to inform registered
owners of any interest in property registered in land court of the requirement
for deregistration of property pursuant to this Act.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the land
court for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
6.
�
All rights, powers, functions, and
duties of the land court are transferred to the bureau of conveyances.
�
All employees who occupy civil service
positions and whose functions are transferred to the bureau of conveyances by
this Act shall retain their civil service status, whether permanent or
temporary.
�
Employees shall be
transferred without loss of salary, seniority (except as prescribed by
applicable collective bargaining agreements), retention points, prior service
credit, any vacation and sick leave credits previously earned, and other
rights, benefits, and privileges, in accordance with state personnel laws and
this Act; provided that the employees possess the minimum qualifications and
public employment requirements for the class or position to which transferred
or appointed, as applicable; provided further that subsequent changes in status
may be made pursuant to applicable civil service and compensation laws.

����
Any
employee who, prior to this Act, is exempt from civil service and is
transferred as a consequence of this Act may retain the employee's exempt
status but shall not be appointed to a civil service position as a consequence
of this Act.
�
An exempt employee who is
transferred by this Act shall not suffer any loss of prior service credit,
vacation or sick leave credits previously earned, or other employee benefits or
privileges as a consequence of this Act; provided that the employees possess
legal and public employment requirements for the position to which transferred
or appointed, as applicable; provided further that subsequent changes in status
may be made pursuant to applicable employment and compensation laws.
�
The chairperson of the board of land and
natural resources may prescribe the duties and qualifications of these
employees and fix their salaries without regard to chapter 76, Hawaii Revised
Statutes.

����
SECTION 7.
�
All appropriations, records, equipment,
machines, files, supplies, contracts, books, papers, documents, maps, and other
personal property heretofore made, used, acquired, or held by the land court
relating to the functions transferred to the department of land and natural
resources shall be transferred with the functions to which they relate.

����
SECTION 8.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025;
provided that sections 4, 6, and 7 shall take effect on June 30,
����
.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Land
Court; Bureau of Conveyances; Repeal; Real Property; Appropriation

Description:

Repeals
the Land Court.
�
Requires registered
owners of an interest in property registered in land court to deregister their
interest.
�
Requires the land court to
inform registered owners of the requirement to deregister.
�
Appropriates moneys.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.